Adjuncts to Vote for Unionization by End of Semester

On Mon., Oct. 17, representatives for pro-union adjuncts at Plymouth State University filed with the New Hampshire Public Employee Labor Relations Board to hold an election to unionize adjunct faculty members. An election is scheduled to take place within 45 days.

The process of unionizing is elaborate and has recently undergone changes.  As of August 8, the NH Labor Relations Board requires that a majority of employees of the desired bargaining unit wish to hold an election for unionization. This can be proven (and was proven by PSU adjuncts) by means of separate forms for each employee, which constitutes a petition. Once this happens, the board will decide whether or not grounds exist for the group to hold an election. (Source: nh.gov/pelrb/laws/)

The adjuncts at PSU have met the first requirement and have been approved by the board to hold an election by the end of November. The NH Labor Relations Board will ultimately determine who is eligible to vote, and those who make the cut will have ballots mailed to their home address. A majority vote (50% + 1 person) will, if no appeals or decertification occur, determine the outcome.

At the forefront of the pro-union movement are adjuncts Jay Knower, Burrett McBee, Lynn Chong, and Rebecca Alosa of the English department, Krisan Evenson of the social sciences department, and Philip Inwood of the art department, who have been working since summer to unionize PSU adjuncts. According to Knower, though, the majority of adjuncts are in support of filing for an election.

"Adjuncts [who are considering voting] should know that they are in a majority-situation, and that their votes will be kept confidential," said Chong.

These six adjuncts have agreed on a loose list of priorities that they believe are both reasonable and would benefit all adjuncts. The first of these priorities is wage parity with adjuncts at Keene State University. The second is a sense of stability in the form of longer contracts, and the third is an acquisition of benefits, especially health care.

"We don't want to push an agenda," said Knower. "There is often the misconception that a union is confrontational." These adjuncts are aware that many adjuncts may be "worried about a confrontational environment" between them and the administration, but, as Chong said, they are advocating for "cooperation, not confrontation."

The pro-union adjuncts see unionization as a way to improve the current situations of all adjuncts at PSU, not in a way that places them at odds with the administration or the University, but rather that works with them.

"There are many of us who want to make a larger commitment to the community," said Inwood, "and want a sense of being more integrated. Right now, the system doesn't embrace that."

These six adjuncts are hoping, now that the prospect of a union is a very visible reality, their fellow adjuncts will become more vocal about their own concerns and experiences. "Unionizing is a way to start a dialogue," said McBee. "Part of what I'm sensing is that, by moving towards unionization, we are giving strength to the adjuncts."

"We need to have a formal discussion," said Evenson. "In the coming days [leading up to the election] we need to figure out what other issues there might be."

There are a number of adjuncts on campus, though, that do not believe that unionization would benefit them. "My big issue," said adjunct Steven Whitman of the social sciences department, "is that we don't have a lot of issues."

Whitman, who has been teaching as an adjunct since 2004, says that, since his employment, adjuncts at PSU have seemingly always been able to go directly to the administration with their concerns and feels that they are "incredibly responsive."

Many adjuncts that have had the same experiences with the administration are satisfied with their working conditions. Jay Moskowitz, an adjunct that has worked in the art department for 15 years, has always found the administration and the University to be very considerate towards the adjunct faculty.

"I think we are dealing with a cooperative administration that has improved our conditions," said Moskowitz, who stated that adjuncts have received three pay increases over the last four years.

"We've already been able to make improvements for ourselves through dialogue with the administration," said Moskowitz, who has always felt comfortable and respected in addressing his concerns on an individual level. Moskowitz is concerned that the advent of a union would simply "slow the process" of making improvements for adjuncts, being "just another layer of bureaucracy."

"Bringing a union to PSU might only cause adversarial relations with the administration," said Moskowitz, who feels that relations have already become "more adversarial between adjuncts" since the movement for unionization has swelled.

Stacey Curdie-Meade, an adjunct with the English department, is also against unionizing. "The administration already willingly exercises an open door policy that allows adjuncts to be heard and considered," said Curdie-Meade.

Curdie-Meade, Whitman, and Moskowitz, along with other anti-union adjuncts seem most concerned about having their rights to negotiate as an individual stripped of them. "As part of a union, we loose our ability to advocate for ourselves. It will lump all of us and our individual concerns into one," said Whitman. "I appreciate our ability to communicate with administrators and to express our views," said Curdie-Meade, "and I cringe at the thought of anyone speaking on my behalf in any context."

Each eligible adjunct will have a chance to express their individual opinions in the form of a ballot vote come November. Though the outcome is far from determined, one thing is sure: the matter is now entirely in the hands of the adjuncts.